Sylvania



vUNITED STrrrEs .PATENT OFFICE.

' FRED C. RUFFHEAD AND WALTER n. ANTHONY, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENN- sYLvANIA, AssIGNORs To THE CLARK sTAMPINCr COMPANY, OF ROCH- BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 531,336, dated December 25,1894.

Application filed July 14, 1 8 94- To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known, that we, FRED C. RUFEHEAD and WALTER F. ANTHONY, citizens of the United States, residing at Williamsport, in

the countyrof Lycoming and State of Penn- Sylvania, have invented certain newanduseful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specitication.- f

Our invention relates to an improvement to in buckles, and more particularly to backband or harness buckles.`

' The object ofthe invention is to produce a buckle of this class which shall be simple and strong in construction, which may be readily t 5 locked and unlocked, which will securely hold the chain, link or trace when locked, and

which shall have no projections to catch upon or wear the strap or band to which it is attached or othenparts of the harness with l zo which it may come in contact.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front View of our improved buckle applied to a back-band. Fig.2 is a central sectional l view ofthe same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the same, showing the serration of the olasping or wedging frame. c We will now'proceed to describe our improved buckle in its preferred form. `It con- 3o sists of'but two parts--a body-plate A and a clasping plate B. The body-plate A has two parallel slots, 1-2 separatedby an intermediate solid portion 3. At the ends of the intermediate portion 3 are lugs 4 4, each bent upward at right angles with the plate and provided with aperforation or eye 5. Below the lower slot 2 the body-plate is narrowed intoa tongue 6 which extends downward a' considerable distance and is then curved at 4o 7 forward and upward, and its end portion 8 is parallel with the body and at a suicient distance therefrom to receive a ring or link 9, or any other device which it is desired should be sustained by the buckle. The bent 4 5 tongue 6-7-8 forms a hook which we shall designate by C. The clasping or wedging frame B is formed of a yT-shaped plate, the upper edge ofthe T being preferably provided with a serrated edge 10. The upper end of 5o the clasp plate is bent substantially at right sean No. 517.595. (No man.)

angles on the line 11, and at the extremities of theright angled portion included between the bend 11land the edge 10 are pintles 12 which are constructed to lit in the eyes 5 of the lugs 4 and thus form a hinge for the clasp. The stem 13'of the T-shaped clasp has a substantially right angled bend 14 near its ex.-Y

tremity', the portion 15 beyond the bend 14 being preferably equal to the opening of the flush with the upper end portion 8 of thehook.

The portion 15 rests normally on the lower bar of plate A. I

- The operation of the buckle is as follows: The back--band or strap D is laced through the slots 1-2 and under the clasp as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When it is desired to adjust the buckle upon the band, the clasp is raised as shown in dotted lines in Fig.' 2 and the strap or band will then slide freely through the slots of the buckle. When the buckle is in its desired position, the clasp B is pressed down into the position shown in ull lines in Fig. 2 which compresses the band between the edge 10 of the buckle and the tightly. The right angled portion 15 of the clasp extendsacross the opening of the hook C and completely closesit, thus'retaining the linkor other fixture in the hook. lAs this portion 15 is squarely across the opening of the hook, the upward movement of the link 9 will haveno tendency tothrow the clasp open.

The main feature of our invention consists in forming the clasping or wedging frame of the buckle with a substantially right angled portion adapted, when said frame is. closed, to lie across and immediately above the opening of the hook to form a guard for the same. This guard, being connected with the wedging frame, is held in place thereby and is not liable to be easily displaced.

It will be evident that our invention is ap- ICO plicable to buckles differing in general design from that used to illustrate it in the accompanying drawings. Therefore, Without limiting ourselves to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown and described,

IVe claim- 1. In a buckle, the combination with the body-plate having a depending hook, of a clasping or wedging frame pivoted to the body and provided at its lower extremity with a substantially right angled portion adapted, when the clasp is closed, to lie across and immediately above the opening of thevhook to form aguard for the same, substantially as described.

2. In a buckle, the combination with the body-plate having parallel slots, an intermediate bar, perforated lugs at the ends of the bar, and a depending hook, of avclasp having a substantially right angled portion at one end provided with pintles arranged in the perforations of the lugs, and a substantially right angled portion at the opposite end, adapted, when the clasp is closed, to lie across and immediately above the opening of the hook to form a guard for the same, substantially as described.

3. In a buckle, the combination with the body having parallel slots through which the strap or band passes, a bar between the slots, lugs at its ends, and a depending tonguehaving a bend 7, and a return or hook portion 8 parallel with the body-plate; of a T-shaped clasp havinga substantially right angled portion at its upper end provided with a serrated edge and with pintles engaging the lugs, and having a substantially right angled portion at its lower end adapted to lie across and above the opening of the hook to form a guard for the same, the body of said clasp when locked upon the band being in lineand flush with the return portion 8 of the hook, substantially as described.

In testimoney whereof We aiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FRED C. RUFFHEAD. WALTER F. ANTHONY. Witnesses:

M. F. CLARK, CHAs. H. CLARK. 

